Discharged Soldiers Petition Army Chief Over Unpaid Benefits, Alleged Discrimination

By Our Reporter 

A group of voluntarily discharged personnel of the Nigerian Army, identified as Batch B 2025, have formally petitioned the Chief of Army Staff over what they described as persistent non payment of their post discharge entitlements and alleged discriminatory treatment following their disengagement from service.

In the petition dated after their exit from the Army on November 30 2025, the former soldiers said several benefits due to them under existing military regulations and national laws remain unpaid more than two months after their discharge, leaving many in financial distress.

According to the petition, the affected personnel complained that their terminal leave allowance has not been paid despite being a standard entitlement for disengaged soldiers. They also alleged that the statutory three month upfront payment provided under the Mobilisation Administration and Finance Arrangement MAFA has been withheld without any explanation from the authorities.

More troubling, the ex personnel accused the Army of discriminatory treatment in salary and allowance payments. They claimed that officers from the rank of Warrant Officer and above who were discharged on the same date received their December 2025 salary and scarce skill allowance, while Staff Sergeants and below were excluded.

The petitioners argued that this disparity violates constitutional provisions on equality and fairness as well as long standing military principles, especially since all affected personnel share the same discharge date and legal status.

They further raised concerns over other outstanding allowances which they said remain unpaid, as well as what they described as serious administrative lapses after their disengagement. Chief among these is the alleged withholding of their discharge certificates and the failure to invite them for final documentation more than 60 days after leaving service.

The former soldiers noted that the delay has negatively affected their access to pensions, post service employment opportunities and other civil documentation. They also expressed concern that no official circular signal or policy directive has been issued to explain the delays or payment disparities, a situation they said offends the principles of transparency and fair hearing.

Anchoring their demands on the Armed Forces Act MAFA provisions and relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the petitioners appealed to the leadership of the Nigerian Army to intervene urgently.

They called for the immediate release of their discharge certificates, payment of all outstanding entitlements including terminal leave allowance and MAFA benefits, and a clear written explanation for the alleged unequal treatment in salary and allowance payments.

The petition was also copied to the Minister of Defence the Ministry of Defence the Military Pensions Board the Chief Financial Officer Army and the Chief of Personnel Management Army.

The ex soldiers said they submitted the petition with full respect for military hierarchy and discipline, expressing confidence that the Army leadership would act to uphold justice fairness and the welfare tradition of the institution.

Fixing Nigeria’s Broken Supply Chains Could Unlock Billions and Reshape the Economy — RBSN Report

By Akonasu Gbedozin 

A new report by Rome Business School Nigeria has warned that Nigeria’s economic growth food security and industrial development are being quietly undermined by weak and fragmented supply chains even as it reveals that fixing these gaps could unlock billions of naira and transform the economy.

The report released in January 2026 describes supply chain management as the invisible system that keeps the country running linking farms to markets factories to ports hospitals to suppliers and consumers to essential goods. According to the study addressing long standing inefficiencies in Nigeria’s supply chains could add between two and three percent to annual GDP growth reduce inflationary pressure and create jobs across key sectors.

The report stresses that supply chains are no longer just about moving goods but about shaping national development and everyday quality of life. It notes that when supply chains fail ordinary Nigerians feel the impact immediately through food shortages higher prices and limited access to medicines but when they work growth becomes inclusive and sustainable.

Tracing Nigeria’s supply chain evolution the report recalls the colonial era when the economy revolved around exporting raw materials such as cocoa palm oil and minerals and the oil boom of the 1970s which restructured trade and logistics around petroleum. While oil and gas still account for about 90 percent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings the report points out that these supply chains remain highly vulnerable to theft vandalism and bureaucratic delays costing the country billions of naira every year.

Beyond oil Nigeria exports over 1.5 billion dollars worth of cocoa and sesame annually yet much of the value is lost due to poor logistics limited local processing and weak links between farmers processors and exporters. These gaps according to the report continue to deny the country the full benefits of its vast agricultural potential.

Infrastructure challenges remain one of the biggest bottlenecks. Only a small fraction of Nigeria’s 195000 kilometres of roads are paved pushing transport costs up by as much as 40 percent and driving final consumer prices higher by nearly 30 percent. Congested ports unreliable electricity and inadequate cold storage facilities also contribute to massive post harvest losses with up to 40 percent of perishable crops spoiling before reaching the market.

Security issues further disrupt the movement of goods. Banditry in the North and vandalism in the Niger Delta frequently interrupt supply routes putting drivers and logistics workers at risk and increasing the cost of doing business. The report also highlights the 2023 removal of fuel subsidies as a major shock noting that rising transport and logistics costs have strained supply chains and worsened price pressures for consumers.

While the COVID 19 pandemic pushed many businesses toward digital tools such as e procurement and online inventory systems Nigeria still lags behind in adopting advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain. High costs poor broadband coverage and a shortage of skilled professionals continue to limit adoption especially among small and medium sized businesses.

The impact is most visible in agriculture and healthcare. Smallholder farmers who produce most of Nigeria’s food often lose large portions of their harvest because poor roads and storage prevent timely access to markets and processors. In the health sector weak supply chains have led to recurring shortages of essential medicines including malaria drugs particularly in northern Nigeria while unreliable power and poor cold chain systems damage vaccines and other temperature sensitive products.

Despite the challenges the report strikes an optimistic tone. It identifies the African Continental Free Trade Area as a major opportunity projecting that intra African trade could grow by more than 20 percent if countries improve logistics customs processes and infrastructure. It also points to city based warehousing electric delivery vehicles and greener logistics models as emerging solutions that could cut costs reduce emissions and support the growth of e commerce.

Speaking on the findings Prof Antonio Ragusa Dean and Founder of Rome Business School Nigeria said the country is at a critical crossroads where long standing weaknesses can be turned into competitive advantages with the right reforms.

Nigeria has the resources the market and the talent he said what is needed now is coordinated action to modernise infrastructure embrace technology and build resilient supply chains that work for businesses and citizens alike.

The report concludes that strengthening supply chain management is no longer just a business concern but a national development priority. With the right mix of policies private investment and regional cooperation it says Nigeria can unlock new growth improve food and health security and build a more resilient economy for the future.

𝐀𝐏𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟖 𝐚𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲

By Peter Dansu 

The All Progressives Congress has announced that it will kick off its nationwide congress process on Monday, with ward congresses scheduled to hold on February 18.

The exercise, which will run through the local government, state, zonal levels and climax with the party’s national convention, marks the formal start of preparations ahead of the next general election.

The party’s ongoing nationwide e registration and digital membership update, which began earlier this month, is expected to end tomorrow.

The timetable and modalities for the congresses were reaffirmed on Sunday night in Abuja after a meeting between the Progressive Governors Forum and the APC National Working Committee led by the party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda.

Governors at the meeting endorsed the schedule and agreed with the party leadership on the need to sustain unity, transparency and internal democracy throughout the congress process. The timetable had earlier been ratified by the party’s National Executive Committee at its December meeting.

According to the approved schedule, notices of congresses will be issued to state chapters and the Federal Capital Territory on Monday, February 2. Purchase and submission of forms for ward and local government congresses will take place between February 4 and February 9, while screening of aspirants will be conducted from February 11 to February 13.

Ward congresses will hold nationwide on February 18, with appeals fixed for February 19. Local government congresses, including the election of delegates to the national convention, are scheduled for February 20, while appeals will be heard on February 21.

At the state level, sale of forms for executive positions will run from February 23 to February 27, followed by screening and appeals in late February and early March. State congresses are fixed for March 7.

The party will then move to zonal congresses, with purchase and submission of forms for zonal offices and the national convention scheduled for March 12 to March 17. Zonal congresses will hold on March 21 across the six geopolitical zones, while appeals will be heard on March 23.

The APC national convention is slated for March 25 to March 28.

In a communiqué issued after the Abuja meeting, the Progressive Governors Forum reaffirmed its commitment to deepening internal democracy, strengthening party structures and ensuring a transparent and inclusive congress process. The governors also welcomed updates on the party’s digital membership drive, noting increased youth participation and the integration of National Identity Number verification.

The forum further pledged continued collaboration with the party leadership to deliver what it described as a credible, transparent and unifying congress and convention process for the growth of Nigeria’s democracy.